Arch-support



R. S. CARLING.

, ARCH SUPPORT.

APPLICATION FILED MAA. 3|, |919.

Pand Dec. 23,1919.

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Flai? R055 5. CA ,IPL/N6 .ROSE S. CARLING, F CAMP LEWIS, VASHINGTON.

ARCH-SUPPORT.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 23, 1919.

Application filed March 31, 1919. Serial No. 286,447.

To @ZZ whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, ROSE S. CARLING, a citizen of the United States, residing at Camp Lewis, in the county of Fierce and State of Vl/'ashingtoin have invented new and useful Improvements in Archupports, of which the following is a specification.

My object is to make an improved arch support, Vand my invention consists of the novel features herein shown, described and claimed.

Figure l is a top plan View of an im proved arch support embodying the principles of my invention, and looking in the direction indicated by the arrow 1 in Fig. 2.

Fig. 2 is an inside elevation looking in the direction indicated by the arrow 2 in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view as seen looking in the direction indicated by the arrow 3 in Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a cross section upon the line 4--4 of Fig. 2 and looking in the direction indicated by the arrows, when the support is worn in the shoe.

Fig. 5 is a reduced diagrammatic View showing a shoe in section with an arch support in place for use and a foot upon the arch support.

Fig. 6 is a cross sectional detail on the same plane as Fig. 4c with the shoe in place, the view being taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 5 and looking in the direction indicated by the arrow.

The insole 1 is made of a piece of firm leather or fabric cut to the desired shape and size. rl`he hair side of the leather is the upper side 2 of the insole. The insole is made to lit easily within a shoe from the heel to a point beneath the ball of the foot. The lower face of the insole is chamfered from the line 3 to the edge 4l on all sides. A piece of soft leather or fabric 5 is secured by the stitching G along the inner edge of the insole 1 and by stitching 7 upon a diagonal line from the rear end of the stitching 6 toward the center of the foot and by a stitching 8 upon a diagonal line from the forward end of the stitching 6 toward the inner forward end of the stitching 7, thereby forming a pocket 9 having an opening 10 between the ends of the stitchings 7 and 8 and a iiap or tab 1l covering the opening 10. The pocket 9 is filled to any desired extent with any suitable stuffing such as wool or cotton or rubber 12, the stuiing being inserted by raising the fia-p 11 and pushing the stui'ling through the opening into the pocket 9.

A second piece of flexible soft leather or fabric 13 is secured to the insole `by stitching 141 extending from the forward end of the stitching G forwardly to the line 8, and stitching' 15 extending from the rear end of the stitching 111 substantially straight across the insole, and stitching 16 extending from the forward end of the stitching lll, thereby producing a pocket 17 having an opening 18 between the outer ends of the stitchings 15 and 16 and a flap 19 covering the opening. The pocket 17 may be iilled to any desired extent with any suitable stuffing by inserting the stufling through the opening 1S under the flap 19.

A strip 20 of spring steel is upwardly curved from its ends and-secured to a strip 21 of firm leather. The strip 21 is secured to the insole 1 by stitching 22extending from the center and back of the heel toward the stitching 6 and by stitching' 23 extending from the transverse center of the ball of the foot inwardly to the stitching 14. The strip 21 is thicker on its inner side than on its outer side, thus formino' a wedge. v

The outer edge 211- of the strip 21 is slightly curved inward and extends from the center of the heel to the center of the ball, the body of the strip being inside of the edge 2i, and the edge 24 is chamfered, and the forward end along the stitching 23 is chamfered.

The inner edge 25 of the strip 21 begins at a point beneath the anterior and inner end of the anterior Docket 17 and extends in a double curved line backward to a point behind the middle of the heel, the bulge of the pocket 9 lying inside of it.

The steel strip 2O is secured to the strip 21 by rivets 26 and 27 and rests on the shank of the shoe thus bridging it, the intention being to make the strip 21 and the strip 20 very stiiT between the rivets 2G and 27, and at the same time provide sufhcient elasticity.

The heads of the live metat-arsal bones form the anterior arch or ball ofthe foot. It sometimes happens that one or more of these heads, or joints, need relief, that is, the head or joint becomes sore or tender, and I provide this relief by arranging the stuiiing in the pocket 17 to raise the bone, or to support the bone, behind the head, thereby taking the pressure of walking upon the pad instead of upon the head of the bone. The

pocket 17 extends entirely across the foot soV that it may be stuffed to relieve the pressure from all of the five metatarsal heads, that is, the ball of the foot, or it may be stued to relieve the pressure from any one, or more, of these heads, or it maybe left flat where this treatment is not required. rlhe pocket 17 is called the anterior compartment and the pocket 9 is called the posterior compartment. The openings to these compartments are on the outer side of the insole, so that they may be readily filled, and by varying the amount of stufling introduced the size of the pads may be adjusted to meet the re- (piirements of various individuals.

ln the condition known as iat foot, the

, foot is pronated or rolled inwardly, causw ing the weight of the body to fall on its inner and weaker side. The strip 21 and the reinforcing strip 20 provide a wedge eX- tending from front to rear under the inner side of the foot and this wedge may be reinforced or increased -to any desired extent by thickening its inner edge and by stufling the pocket 9. lThis construction serves to tip the foot outwardly to its normal position and tc supportthe arch to any desired extent. The steel strip Q0 prevents the shank of the shoe from breaking down and this maintains at all times the eihciency of the support.

lin Fig.- 6 I have shown the arch support in position in a shoe. The insole 1 is considerably wider than the shank 28 of the shoe sole, and the padded pocket 9 rests against the shoe upper :29, and the inner edge of the insole 1 strikes the shoe upper 29 a considerable distance above the shank 2S, so that when the shoe is laced the insole 1 is curved in cross section and the shoe upper 29 'assists very materially in adjusting and supporting the arch support. The curvature of the insole 1 stiffens the insole and the tension of the lacing may be adjusted to make the shoe and arch support comfortable, and the action of the arch support may be increased or decreased from time to time as desired simply by adjusting the lacing.

Various changes may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention as claimed.

lll claim:

1. A11 arch support comprising an insole of firm leather or fabric adapted to lit in a shoe from the back of the heel to the ball of the foot, a strip or wedge of lirm leather attached to the lower face of the insole at its rear end and at its front end and extending under the inner portion of the insole, a strip of spring steel attached to the reinforcement and extending under the posterior arch of the foot, a pocket formed under the insole above the reinforcing strip and extending under the posterior arch having an opening at the outer side of the foot, and a pocket extending across the foot behind the ball and having an opening at the outer side of the foot, the openings being covered by flaps.

An arch support comprising an insole of firm leather or fabric, clnunfered on all its edOes, and adapted to lit within av shoe from the back of the heel to the ball of the foot, a reinforcing strip or wedge of leather chamfered on its outer edge and secured to the inner half of the rear end of the insole and to the inner half of the forward end of the insole and extending across the inner portion of the foot lengthwise, a reinforcing strip of steel secured to the reinforcing strip of leather or wedge, the steel being shorter than the strip of leather, andapoclret fitting under the posterior arch, formed under the insole and over the reinforcing strip and having an opening at the outer side of the foot. n

An arch support comprising an insole formed of firm leather or fabric, a piece of soft leather secured to the lower face of the insole and forming a pocket fitting under the anterior arch of the foot and opening outwardly, and a reinforcing strip or wedge of leather attached at its rear end and at its forward end to the insole and passing longitudinally under the inner side of the insole, and a strip of spring steel attached to the reinforcement.

4L. An arch support comprising an insole formed of stiff material, a relatively narrow reinforcing strip of flexible material attached at its rear end and at its forward end to 4the insole and passingi longitudinally under the inner side of the insole, said reinforcing strip having the portions intermediate its ends normally spaced from the insole; and a narrow strip of spring steel attached to the reinforcing strip.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

ROSE S. CARLING. 

